The Hadith collections contain numerous prophecies about Mahdi figures, which many Muslims have mistakenly interpreted as referring to a single Mahdi. In reality, each Mahdi-related Hadith was crafted to align with a specific historical figure, aiming to garner support for that individual. By presenting these statements as ‘prophecies’ and fabricating false isnads linking them to the Prophet, they transformed political agendas into religious beliefs, making it seem obligatory to follow such figures. We see this with the Zubayrid Mahdi: Abdullah ibn Zubayr. We see this with the Hasanid Mahdi: Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Nafs al-Zakkiyah. We see this with the Kaysanite Mahdi: Muhammad ibn al-Hanifiyyah. Now we see this with the Abbasid Mahdi:

Abu Abdullah Al-Saffar narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Arumah narrated to us, saying: Al-Husayn ibn Hafs narrated to us, saying: Sufyan narrated from Khalid Al-Hadhdha’, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu Asma’, from Thawban, who said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them. Then, the black banners will emerge from the East, and they will fight you in a manner no people have fought before. Then, he mentioned something, and said: ‘When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.'”

This hadith is authentic according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
— Verified by Al-Dhahabi according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Al-Hakim (8432)

Muhammad ibn Yahya and Ahmad ibn Yusuf narrated to us, saying: Abdul-Razzaq narrated from Sufyan Al-Thawri, from Khalid Al-Hadhdha’, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu Asma’ Al-Rahabi, from Thawban, who said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them. Then, the black banners will emerge from the East, and they will kill you in a manner no people have been killed before. Then, he mentioned something that I do not remember and said: ‘When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.'”

Ibn Majah (4084)

Al-Husayn ibn Ya’qub ibn Yusuf Al-Adl narrated to us, saying: Yahya ibn Abi Talib narrated to us, saying: Abdul-Wahhab ibn Ata’ informed us, from Khalid Al-Hadhdha’, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu Asma’, from Thawban, who said:

“When you see the black banners coming from Khurasan, go to them even if you have to crawl, for among them is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.“

This hadith is authentic according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, but they did not include it.
No ruling provided by Al-Dhahabi.

Al-Hakim (8531)

Waki’ narrated to us, from Shareek, from Ali ibn Zayd, from Abu Qilabah, from Thawban, who said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When you see the black banners coming from Khurasan, go to them, for among them is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.“

Its chain is weak (Al-Arna’oot).

Ahmad (22387)

ICMA of The Black Banners

There are two portions of the hadith in question:

• The “Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them.“
• & “When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi“

The blue + red portions are only found in Hakim 8432 and Ibn Majah 4084, which can be traced back to Sufyan al-Thawri, and the red portion alone can be traced back to Abu Qilaba, as it is found in Hakim 8531 and Ahmad 22387. We can conclude that the red portion was originally transmitted by Abu Qilaba, and the blue portion was thus added by Sufyan. If Khalid had come up with the blue portion, we would have seen it in the transmission to Abdul Wahab to Yahya to Al Husayn within Hakim 8531, but we only have the red portion from them. Which makes us come to the conclusion that Sufyan added that part to allude to the three Umayyad caliphs that fought each other prior to the usurping of the Abbasids.

If we compare the hadith to its historical context, it becomes clear the ‘three sons of a caliph’ is in reference to Hisham (reigned from 724-743) and the three subsequent rulers who barely maintained the caliphate for a year:

• al-Walid II ibn Yazid (r. February 743 – April 744 ),
• Yazid III ibn al-Walid (r. April 744 – October 744), and
• Ibrahim ibn al-Walid (r. October 744 – December 744)

“Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them.”

It’s clear this portion of the hadith is about these three caliphs. ‘But it will not be given to any of them‘ is a certainty considering they couldn’t hold on to the caliphate, which is considered the ‘treasure’ within the hadith.

If we figured out what the first portion of the hadith, then what is: “Then, the black banners will emerge from the East, and they will fight you in a manner no people have fought before. Then, he mentioned something, and said: ‘When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.'”“?

The Abbasids: The Rise of The Black Flags

The Abbasids came to power through a complex series of political maneuvers that included fabricating hadiths and manipulating religious legitimacy. Initially, the Abbasids had little political ambition and were not involved in the power struggles following the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate. Their family had distanced itself from political matters, with their descendants living quietly in Mecca and Medina. However, a shift occurred when Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, a key figure in the Abbasid movement, revitalized the Abbasid cause by using religious propaganda and fabricated stories to gain support. One notable fabrication was the “will” of Abu Hashim, attributed to Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas, which claimed that after his death, the Abbasid family would rule.

  يمكن القول أن البلاذري (ت 279هـ) يعد من اوائل الذين ذكروا وصية أبي هاشم عبد الله بن محمد بن الحنفية الى محمد بن علي بن عبد الله بن العباس ، تلك الوصية التي أستند عليها العباسيون في أحقيتهم بالدعوة دون العلويين . ويعطي البلاذري صورة مصغرة لتلك الوصية ودونما تفصيل يذكر  .

Translation –

It can be said that al-Baladhuri (d. 279 AH) is one of the earliest historians to mention the will of Abu Hashim Abdullah bin Muhammad bin al-Hanafiyyah to Muhammad bin Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas, a will upon which the Abbasids based their claim to the call (dawah) over the Alawites. Al-Baladhuri provides a brief outline of this will, without going into further details.

https://iraqination.net/archives/2518

According to the fabricated account, Abu Hashim (who was an Alid figure) allegedly made a will shortly before his death, instructing that leadership should pass to Muhammad bin Ali (the patriarch of the Abbasid family) and his descendants. This will essentially transferred the ‘imamate/mahdiship’ of the Kaysanites (Muhammad ibn al-Hanifyyah to Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanifyyah [Abu Hashim] to Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Abbas) to the Abbasids.

This will was fabricated by the Abbasids to provide a sense of legitimacy to their revolt against the Umayyads and their eventual rise to power. It was presented as evidence that the Abbasid family had a divine or rightful claim to rule, based on the supposed instructions of Abu Hashim. This story played a significant role in rallying support for the Abbasid cause, especially among those who supported the Alid lineage but were disillusioned with the Umayyads. However, there is no historical evidence for this will, and it is widely considered a fabrication. It was invented as part of a political strategy, particularly by figures like Abu Muslim al-Khurasani, who sought to strengthen the Abbasid position through religious and ideological propaganda.

This was used to justify the Abbasid claim to leadership and rally support for their cause, especially in regions like Khurasan. In addition to this, a vague call for the “family of the Prophet” emerged, which was marketed as a movement to remove the Umayyads and install a more rightful leadership based on the Hashemite lineage. Additionally, the Abbasids used other fabricated elements of Islamic tradition, such as the black banners, to further their cause and present themselves as the rightful heirs of the Prophet’s family. These narratives were part of a broader propaganda campaign that allowed the Abbasids to gain the necessary religious and political support to overthrow the Umayyads and establish their rule.

Transcript (4:15 to 8:08) –

“But in 747, a new symbol rises to challenge their rule – the black banners of the Abbasids. The Abbasids are an Arab family descended from the Prophet Muhammad’s uncle, al-Abbas, from whom they take their name. They and their supporters believe that this blood tie to the Prophet gives them a legitimate claim to the title of Caliph, far more so than the Umayyads, whom the Abbasids later portray as decadent and despised.

The Abbasids promise a return to ‘true Islam,’ to correct teachings and moral leadership, and send missionaries and agents out across the Caliphate to spread their message. In 747, with the Caliphate once more racked by revolt and civil war, the Abbasids seize their chance.

In eastern Khorasan, a general named Abu Muslim – probably a Persian convert – launches a revolt and takes the black banner of the Hashemites as his symbol. The Hashemites – descendants of Hashim – are the extended family of the Prophet, with the Abbasids prominent among them. This frontier region – today comprising northeastern Iran and parts of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan – is particularly ripe for rebellion.

Here, Arabs and non-Arab converts live side by side. They intermarry and fight alongside each other to defend the frontier. For many, the Umayyads are distant and unpopular overlords. What’s more, opposition has been stoked for decades by Hashemite agents and missionaries, who seek to topple the Umayyads and replace them with one of their own. They have sown the seeds of revolution.

So when Abu Muslim begins his revolt, he quickly attracts followers – Arabs, Persians, and Central Asians, many of whom are experienced warriors. He proves a brilliant commander, winning a series of victories over Umayyad forces, and occupying Kufa, the capital of Iraq, in 749.

The Abbasids now assume leadership of this revolution, and the following year, their forces meet the army of the Umayyad Caliph, Marwan the Second, at the Zab River. Most of what we know about the battle that follows comes from Abbasid sources.

Caliph Marwan appears to have been a brave but reckless commander, launching a head-on cavalry charge against the Abbasid line. Abbasid historians tell how their own troops, inspired by recent victories, stand fast. Their spear walls repel the cavalry; the attack ends in disaster. Umayyad morale is broken, their army routed. Marwan himself flees the battle but is pursued and killed in Egypt. Other Umayyads are likewise hunted down and exterminated. Even graves are desecrated. One surviving member of the dynasty, Abd al-Rahman, flees to Spain.”

Conclusion: The Abbasid Mahdi – Abu Al-Saffah

Abu Muslim was the key figure in bringing about the destruction of the Umayyad dynasty. With the securing of the fabricated ‘will’ of the Kaysanites, the mahdiship/imamate was transferred from Muhammad ibn al-Hanifyyah to his son Abdullah (Abu Hashim), and subsequently fabricated to be passed on to Muhammad ibn Ali, the Abbasid. The fabricated will of Abu Hashim, which allegedly passed the leadership (or imamate) from Muhammad ibn al-Hanifyyah to his son Abdullah (Abu Hashim), and then to Muhammad ibn Ali, the patriarch of the Abbasid family, served as a tool to legitimize the Abbasids’ rise to power.

The Abbasid claim to the Mahdi figure—promised to bring justice and righteousness—was crucial in garnering support, particularly among those dissatisfied with the Umayyad rule. Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, who became the first Abbasid caliph after the revolution, was often linked to the Mahdi figure in this context, portraying himself as the rightful leader promised by this divine and legitimate chain of succession.

The fabrication of such a will allowed the Abbasids to position themselves as the rightful heirs of the Prophet’s family, despite other branches of the family, like the Alids, claiming similar rights. By connecting the Abbasid cause to the Mahdi narrative, they were able to rally a broader base of support and justify their overthrow of the Umayyads.

The nickname of Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, the first Abbasid caliph, is highly significant in the context of the Abbasid revolution and its association with the Mahdi narrative. His title, al-Saffah, meaning “the bloodshedder” or “the one who sheds blood,” is often seen as a reflection of the violent and intense nature of the Abbasid uprising against the Umayyads. This nickname is reminiscent of a part of the well-known hadith that states: “And they will fight you in a manner no people have fought before.“ This part of the hadith refers to a fierce and unprecedented struggle, which some interpret as a description of the violent confrontations during the Abbasid revolution.

The Abbasid revolt was indeed marked by extreme bloodshed, as the Abbasids fought not only to overthrow the Umayyads but also to eliminate their supporters and solidify their claim to the caliphate. The description of al-Saffah as “the bloodshedder” aligns with the violent and brutal nature of this conflict, in which countless Umayyad forces and their allies were defeated, and the Umayyad family itself was almost completely exterminated, with even their graves desecrated.

To Recap-

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them. Then, the black banners will emerge from the East, and they will kill you in a manner no people have been killed before. Then, he mentioned something that I do not remember and said: ‘When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi.“ (Ibn Majah 4084 and more)

• Three will fight over your treasure, all of them being the son of a caliph, but it will not be given to any of them. This part of the hadith is in reference to the three Umayyad caliphs that had trouble securing the ‘treasure’ of the caliphate: al-Walid II ibn Yazid (r. February 743 – April 744 ), Yazid III ibn al-Walid (r. April 744 – October 744), and Ibrahim ibn al-Walid (r. October 744 – December 744). All of them were descendents of caliphs.
• Then, the black banners will emerge from the East. This part of the hadith is in reference to the black banners of the Abbasids who sought to overthrow the Umayyads. They gained support of the Alids after fabricating a will on the authority of Abu Hashim, descendent of the Kaysanite Mahdi and son of Ali ibn Abi Talib through other than Fatima.
• and they will kill you in a manner no people have been killed before. Then, he mentioned something that I do not remember. This part of the hadith is in reference to Abu Al-Abbas Al-Saffah whose nickname is literally ‘the bloodshedder’, representative of the slaughtering he part took in during the demise of the Umayyad caliphate. He was the son of Muhammad ibn Ali. It seems the will was fabricated in order to connect Abu Abu Al-Abbas Al-Saffah to the last ‘legitimate’ mahdi figure.
• ‘When you see him, pledge allegiance to him, even if you have to crawl over ice, for he is the Caliph of Allah, the Mahdi. This part of the hadith is a command to pledge allegiance to Abu Al-Abbas Al-Saffah no matter what.

This is simply another case of Basrans/Kufans fabricating hadith on the authority of the prophet in order to prop up their political agenda. By attributing such prophecies to the Prophet Muhammad, these groups sought to legitimize their own political aspirations and movements, especially during times of upheaval like the Abbasid revolution.

The idea of the black banner hadith being fabricated to support the Abbasids isn’t a new accusation for the tradition. Ibn Kathir acknowledged the ‘coincidence’ but simply disregarded by essentially saying the hadith is referring to a different army.

الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم كانت سوداء يقال لها: العقاب.
قال ابن كثير: هذه الرايات السود ليست هي التي أقبل بها أبو مسلم الخرساني فاستلب بها دولة بني أمية، بل رايات سود أخرى تأتي صحبة المهدي.
وراجع الفتوى رقم: 15838.
والله أعلم.

Translation of Ibn Kathir’s cope:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) had black flags, which were called “Al-‘Aqab.” Ibn Kathir said: These black flags are not the ones with which Abu Muslim al-Khurasani came, with which he seized the state of the Umayyads, but rather other black flags that will accompany the Mahdi.

Refer to Fatwa No. 15838. And Allah knows best.

Repercussions for The Black Banners Hadith:

Isis uses these fabricated hadith to prop up their legitimacy-

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/09/isis-flag-apocalypse/406498

For more on Mahdi fabrications:

The Kaysanite Mahdi – The Obscure 3rd Son of Ali

The Hasanid Mahdi – A Mahdi Fabricated by Asim (Teacher of Quran Reciter Hafs)

The Zubayrid Mahdi – The Zubayrid Retaliation Against the Umayyads!